Jasmine Silver Needle

Jasmine Silver Needle is scented using a traditional method that is over 900 years old. The delicate Silver Needle tea leaves are layered with fresh jasmine blossoms which leave behind their enchanting aroma long after they are removed. The process is extremely labor intensive and requires a great deal of skill, but results in a more gentle, elegant flavor than what can be achieved through more expedient, cost effective methods.

Silver Needle contains only the rare, delicate buds from the first spring harvest. For this reason it is thought to have a higher concentration of both caffeine and antioxidants than most other types of tea.

Because there are so many variables, caffeine quantities in tea often vary and can be difficult to quantify without conducting expensive chemical testing on individual harvests. It can be affected by a variety of factors, including: the specific varietal of the plant used, the location of the leaf on the plant, the season of harvest, oxidation level and even the type of fertilizer used. Recent studies suggest that the greatest concentration of caffeine is present in the bud of the plant and that caffeine levels decrease as you descend further down the plant. In other words, the younger the leaf, the greater the caffeine content. Several chemical studies have concluded that Silver Needle has one of the highest caffeine levels in the tea world.

Silver Needle appears fuzzy due to the tremendous number of trichomes covering the bud. Trichomes protect the bud against water loss and potential predators. The buds are further protected by higher levels of both caffeine and polyphenols (antioxidants), both of which contain a bitter flavor and are produced by the tea plant to deter insects.

Pair Jasmine Silver Needle with chicken or seafood.

We recommend steeping Jasmine Silver Needle for 4-5 minutes at 175°. Silver Needle is well known for its ability to sustain multiple steeps so hold onto those tea leaves and re-steep them four to five times before tossing them into your compost pile.